Are mouth ulcers cancerous?

• Benign mouth ulcers are often painful whereas mouth cancer is not.
• Benign ulcers will clear up in about 2 weeks, whereas mouth cancer will not go away and will often spread.
• Mouth cancer patches may be rough, hard, and not easy to scrape off.
• Mouth cancer is often a mix of red and white areas or large white areas that appear on the tongue, the back of the mouth, the gums, or on the cheeks.
• Mouth cancer is often linked to heavy drinking or tobacco use.

In many cases, the pain and discomfort from mouth ulcers will lessen in a few days and then disappear in about 2 weeks with no need for treatment.